Cylinder spring latch lockset



Dec. 24, 1968 J. R. GERLACH 3,418,017

CYLINDER SPRING LATCH L-OCKSET Filed Feb. '10, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR E6 'JOHN R; GERLA CH firm/As P MAI/0M6) A Tram/5 Dec. 24, 1968 J. R. GERLACH CYLINDER SPRING LATCH LOCKSET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1966 N VE IV TOE JOHN R. GERLA 0/ 2904045 1? MAHONEY A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,418,017 CYLINDER SPRING LATCH LOCKSET John R. Gerlach, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Emhart Corporation, Bloomfield, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Feb. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 526,509 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-169) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A case mounted bolt, spring urged to forward extended position, is rearwardly retracted by rotating a cam in either of first and second directions of rotation. The cam, in addition to bolt retracting cam surfaces, has a disc urged into axial abutment with a case extension by a leaf spring to retain the cam in bolt retracting assembly. The cam disc has an axially projecting detent positioned free of engagement by a dogging portion of the leaf spring when the cam is rotated in the first direction and engaged by the dogging portion when the cam is rotated in the second direction to releasably retain the bolt retracted in said cam second direction of rotation.

This invention relates to a lockset and, more particularly, to a lockset which is of the type generally adapted for use on interior doors, such as pantry, closet, cellar and other doors where a deadlock is not indicated but where it is desirable to have the advantages of a keyoperated tumbler lock incorporated in the lockset.

In conventional locksets of this character, it is usually necessary to provide a holdback consisting of an auxiliary lever or button which may be, respectively, rotated or depressed to engage the retraction means of the lockset to hold the bolt in retracted position and thus prevent inadvertent locking of the lockset which would result in the locking out of the person utilizing the door in which the lockset is located. Unfortunately, such conventional buttons or levers are frequently diflicult to operate and are also subject to undesirable inadvertent release and, of course, entail the use of two hands in causing them to be operated to hold back the bolt since the retraction knob or lever must be held in the retracted position while the holdback lever or button is, respectively, rotated or depressed.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a lockset having an automatic holdback means which can be operated by rotation of either the associated retraction means or associated keyed lock in a predetermined direction in order to cause the automatic retention of the bolt in its retracted position. Consequently, the necessity for the provision of auxiliary holdback means, such as a holdback lever or button, is eliminated and singlehanded operation of the lockset of the invention results with the consequent advantages inherent in such operation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a lockset of the aforementioned character which includes retraction means having a spindle-operated retractor associated therewith, said spindle-operated retractor incorporating detent means and having dogging means operatively associated therewith adapted to retain said retractor in a position in which the associated retraction means and bolt will be maintained in the retracted position.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of a lockset of the aforementioned character in which the aforesaid retractor is constituted 'by a rotatable retractor cam and in which said dogging means is constituted by a leaf spring having a dogging portion thereupon 3,418,017 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 engageable with a detent on said retractor cam to maintain said retractor cam in the retracted position.

An associated object of my invention is the provision of a lockset of the aforementioned character in which said dogging means also serves to maintain said retractor cam in operative relationship with the retraction means associated with the bolt of the lockset.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the lockset of the invention taken from the exterior side thereof;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the lockset of the invention taken from the interior side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lockset;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken on the broken line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, partially sectional view taken from the broken line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the operation of the retractor cam to cause actuation of the retraction means of the lockset of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a view opposite to FIG. 5 showing the location and relative relationship of the detent means of the retractor cam and the dogging means of the lockset when the bolt of the lockset is in the projected position;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the detent of the retractor cam maintained in the holdback position by operative engagement with the dogging means;

FIG. 9 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 9-9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a vertical, partially sectional view taken from the broken line 1010 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is an exploded, isometric view of the lockset components.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-4 thereof, 1 show a lockset 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention and including a case 12 which is adapted to be mounted in a corresponding bore in the edge of the door 14, as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. An escutcheon plate 16 is secured to the forward extremity of the case 12 to facilitate the securement of said case in the edge of the door 14.

The case 12 is of substantially cylindrical cross section and has an extension 18 of substantially U-shaped configuration secured to the inner extremity thereof. Mounted in the case 12 for longitudinal movement between extended and retracted positions is a latch bolt 20, said latch bolt having an extension 22 which incorporates an abutment 24, as best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The compression spring 26 engages the latch bolt 20 and urges the latch bolt 20 into the extended position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The spring 26 is supported at its inner extremity by means of a prong 28 constituting a part of the latch case extension 18.

Mounted in operative relationship with the case 12, the latch bolt extension 22 and the case extension 18 is retraction means 30, FIG. 4, which is adapted to cause inward movement of the bolt 20 despite the normal tendency of the compression spring 26 to urge the bolt 20 into its extended position. The retraction means 30 includes a retractor slide 32 which is guided for movement in the case extension 18 and which has its forward extremity engagea-ble through oppositely depending lugs 33 with a retractor lever 34 whose one edge is supported for pivotal movement upon a pair of opposed, inwardly ex- Incorporated in the inner extremity of the retractor slide 32 is an opening 38 which is provided with cam follower surfaces 42, FIGS. -6, for engagement with a cam lobe 46 provided on a retractor cam 48. The retractor cam 48 incorporates a guiding and supporting disk 56 which is disposed in overlying relationship with a corresponding opening 58 in one of the legs of the case extension 18, FIG. 4, said disk incorporating a rectangular opening 59 and the associated cam lobe 46 incorporating a slot 62, FIGS. 56, for the reception of a rotatable spindle 66 of rectangular cross section which, as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 of the drawings, is adapted to cause rotation of the cam 48 and corresponding rotation of the cam lobe 46 to urge the cam lobe 46 into engagement with one of the surfaces 42 and, thus, to retract the retractor slide 32 and the bolt 20.

Formed on the outer face of the rotatable disk 56 of the rotary cam 48 is a detent 68 which constitutes a portion of the holdback means of the lockset disclosed herein. The detent 68 is constituted by an axially extending protrusion which is cast upon the outer surface of the disk 56 since the rotary cam 48 is fabricated from powdered metal by the well known sintering process. However, it will be understood that, while a particular configuration of the rotary cam 48 is disclosed herein as manufactured by the sintering process from powdered metal, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that other types of constructions, such as stampings, may be utilized in substitution for the powdered metal rotary cam 48 without departing from the scope of the invention.

Secured in operative relationship with the inner extremity of the case extension 18 is another portion of the holdback means of the lockset which constitutes retaining and dogging means 70 co-operative with the rotary cam 48. The retaining and dogging means 70 is constituted by a leaf spring 72 having its inner extremity secured in operative relationship with the inner extremity of the case extension 18 and having a jog 74 therein which disposes the dogging portion 76 thereof in overlying and retaining relationship with the outer surface of the disk 56 of the rotary cam 48.

The retaining and dogging portion 76 is provided with a V-shaped rib 78 which is adapted to serve as a dog in conjunction with the detent 68 to maintain the rotary cam 48 in the retracted position, in a manner to be described in greater detail below. An opening 81 is provided in the retaining, dogging portion 76 to permit the passage of the spindle 66 therethrough and to permit relative rotation between the spindle 66 and said portion. It will be noted that, as best shown in FIGS. 7-8, and 11 of the drawings, the leaf spring 72 incorporates ears 84 which facilitate the afiixation of said spring in operative relationship with the contiguous portion of the case extension 18.

The retaining function of the retaining and dogging means is performed by disposing the retaining and dogging portion 76 in overlying relationship with the contiguous surface of the disk 56 of the rotary cam 48 which maintains the rotary cam 48 in operative relationship with the associated openings 58 in the case extension 18.

The spindle 66 may be rotated to cause corresponding rotation of the rotary cam 48 by means of a retraction lever 80 mounted for rotation upon an inner rosette or escutcheon plate 82 or by means of a tumbler lock 86 mounted for rotation in an outer rosette or escutcheon plate 88. The outer rosette 88 is secured in overlying relationship with a mounting plate 92 having a pair of mounting studs 94 secured thereto for the reception of mounting screws 96 adapted to be inserted through corresponding openings 98 in the inner rosette 82 and to be threadedly engaged in corresponding bores 102 in the studs 94.

One stud 94 is adapted to be inserted through corresponding openings 106, FIG. 4, in the case extension 18 while the other stud 94 is adapted to be inserted through a corresponding notch 108 in the inner extremity of the case extension 18 to facilitate the securement of the inner actuating lever and the tumbler lock 86 in operative relationship with the remainder of the lockset.

The inner actuating lever 80, as best shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings, incorporates a rectangularly-shaped slot 112 adapted to receive the corresponding inner extremity of the spindle 66 so that rotation of the inner actuating lever 80 will cause corresponding rotation of the spindle 66. The outer extremity of the spindle 66 is right-angularly bent at 114 for engagement by an adapter 116 secured in operative relationship with the plug 118 of the lock 86 by means of a spring 122. Due to the usual lost motion connection between the spindle 66 and the lock plug 118 formed by the spindle bent extremity 114 and the adapter 116, as clearly seen in FIGS. 9 and 11, the spindle 66 may be rotated by the lock plug 118 while, at the same time, the spindle 66 may be rotated by the inner actuating lever 80 without any disturbance of the lock plug 118.

Therefore, the bolt 20 may be retracted by rotation of the plug 118 of the lock 86 through the instrumentality of a key 126, FIG. 3, or by rotation of the inner actuating lever 80. However, the right-angularly bent portion 114 of the spindle 66 may rotate freely with respect to the adapter 116 when the inner actuating lever 80 is rotated to avoid displacement of the plug 118 within the lock 86 when the spindle 66 is rotated by the inner actuating lever 80.

Consequently, when the inner actuating lever 80 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow of FIG. 2 of the drawings, the cam lobe 46 of the rotary cam 48 will be rotated into a position opposite that of FIG. 6 of the drawings wherein the retractor slide 32 is withdrawn into the case extension 18 and the bolt 20 retracted into the case 12. When the rotary cam 48 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction by the counterclockwise rotation of the lever 80, the detent 68 is carried in a counterclockwise direction away from engagement by the dog 78 constituted by the V- shaped rib in the dogging portion 76 of the retaining and dogging means 70.

However, when the lever 80 is rotated into the position shown at 128 in FIG. 2 of the drawings, by clockwise rotation thereof, the detent 68 is driven under the dog 78 and the dog 78 springs back behind the detent 68, as best shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings, to hold the rotary cam 48 against its normal return to its inoperative position as caused by the exertion of the compressive force of the spring 26 against the bolt 20. When the detent 68 is restrained by the dog 78 in this manner, the bolt 20 will be maintained in the retracted position within the case 12 and will be held in that position until the.lever 80 is returned to the intermediate vertical position shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 of the drawings.

The operation of the lockset 10 from the exterior of the door 14 is essentially similar to the operation thereof by the lever 80 except that a key 126 is inserted into the plug 118 of the lock 86. Therefore, when the key 126 is rotated in one direction, the bolt 20 will be withdrawn temporarily into the case 12 and, upon release of the key 126, will immediately be urged outwardly from the case 12 by the action of the spring 26. Conversely, when the key 126 is rotated in the opposite direction, the dog 78 will engage the detent 68 to hold the retractor cam 48 against rotation and thus automatically hold back the bolt 20.

By the utilization of the teachings of my invention, the holdback feature is incorporated into the actuator for the lockset, and it is not necessary to provide auxiliary holdback means, such as holdback levers, buttons, or slides, which are characteristic of conventional locksets of the character under discussion here. While I have described the lockset of the invention as including a lock on the exterior side thereof and an actuating lever on the interior side thereof, it is, of course, contemplated that various types of actuating or locking devices may be utilized without departing from the scope of the teachings of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a lockset of the type having in combination, a case, a bolt mounted in said case movable between a forward extended and rearward retracted position, spring means for normally urging said bolt toward extended position, retracting means operably connected to said bolt movable rearwardly for moving said bolt rearwardly to said rearward retracted position, rotatable cam means engageable with said retracting means upon rotation thereof in both first and second directions of rotation for moving said retracting means and the bolt rearwardly in either of said directions of rotation, and means for selectively rotating said cam means in either of said directions of rotation; the improvements including: a detent projecting axially from said cam means spaced radially from a center of rotation of said cam means, and resiliently urged dogging means positioned free of engagement with said detent when said cam means is rotated in said first direction and engageable with said detent when said cam means is rotated in said second direction to releasably retain said bolt in said rearward retracted position through retention of said cam means in said second direction of rotation while permitting free movement of said bolt and cam means in said first direction of rotation.

2. A lockset as defined in claim 1 in which said dogging means includes an axially inwardly projecting dogging portion resiliently bearing axially against a cam means radial surface from which said detent projects; and in which said detent is positioned on said cam means radial surface circumferentially offset from said dogging portion of said dogging means in said cam means first direction of rotation when said c-am means is in a neutral position free of rotation in either of said first and second directions of rotation.

3. A lockset as defined in claim 1 in which said dogging means includes a leaf spring extending radially adjacent a radial side surface of said cam means, a major part of said spring being axially spaced from said cam means side with a dogging portion extending axially toward and hearing resiliently against said cam means side; and in which said detent is positioned on said cam means side projecting axially therefrom toward said spring, said detent being located on said cam means side circumferentially offset from said spring dogging portion in said first direction of rotation of said cam means when said cam means is in a neutral position circumferentially between said first and second directions of rotation, said detent being free of engagement by said spring dogging portion during rotation of said c-am means in said first direction, said detent being resiliently engaged by said spring dogging portion and resiliently retaining said cam means when said cam means is rotated in said second direction.

4. A lockset as defined in claim 1 in which said cam means includes an enlarged radially extending disc having a radial side surface facing said dogging means; in which said detent includes a projection extending axially from said side surface of said cam means disc; and in which said dogging means bears resiliently axially against said disc side surface of said cam means.

5. A longset as defined in claim 1 in which said cam means includes a radially enlarged disc axially adjacent a cam portion thereof, said cam portion projecting through a rearward extension of said case with said disc abutting a side surface of said case rearward extension, said cam portion being engageable with said retracting means upon said rotation of said cam means for moving said retracting means and bolt rearwardly in either of said cam means directions of rotation; in which said detent projects axially from a radial side surface of said cam means disc spaced axially from said case rearward extension; and in which said dogging means bears axially resiliently against said side surface of said cam means disc resiliently forcing said cam means disc axially against said case rearward extension retaining said cam means assembled with said case rearward extension.

6. A lockset as defined in claim 1 in which said cam means includes a radially enlarged disc axially adjacent a cam portion thereof, said cam portion projecting through a rearward extension of said case with said disc abutting a side surface of said case rearward extension, said cam portion being engageable with said retracting means upon said rotation of said cam means for moving said retracting means and bolt rearwardly in either of said cam means directions of rotation; in which said detent projects axially from a radial side surface of said cam means disc spaced axially from said case rearward extension; in which said dogging means includes a radially extending leaf spring axially adjacent said side surface of said cam means disc and having a dogging portion projecting axially toward and against said disc side surface forcing said disc axially against said case rearward extension retaining said cam means assembled with said case rearward extension; and in which said detent is positioned circumferentially offset from said dogging portion of said dogging means in the direction of said cam means first direction of rotation when said cam means is in a neutral position between said cam means first and second directions of rotation, said detent being resiliently engaged by said dogging portion of said dogging means when said cam means is rotated in said second direction of rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,310 4/ 1956 Russell 70151 2,454,920 11/1948 Heineman 70150 2,400,403 5/ 1946 Falk 292-359 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,019 6/ 1948 Australia.

189,956 5/1957 Austria.

463,605 4/ 1937 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 70148 

